Rick Mayer
Digital ProducerI’m the online producer for Health News Florida, a collaboration of public radio stations and NPR that delivers news about health care issues.
This is an important position at WUSF. In 2019, the typical U.S. family spent about 11 percent of its annual income on health care, so it stands to reason issues of cost, quality, access and innovation are consequential to all Floridians. Then COVID-19 came along, and the weight of these matters gained exponentially. I take our reporting on these topics quite seriously, as I’m sure you do, too.
Literally growing up in newsrooms and a little serendipity along the way prepared me well for the post. Here’s the abridged version: I’m a Tampa guy, graduating from H.B. Plant High and thrust into the world with my USF degree rolled tightly in hand. From there, it was three mostly sleepless decades as an editor at The Tampa Tribune, then developing and managing an online journal serving physician executives. There’s also my side job editing a statewide health magazine.
And being married to a longtime hospital nurse/case manager helps; dinner conversation often gives me a feel of what’s happening on the front lines. The good and not-so-good.
Of course, my time isn’t always spent flailing in the health news vortex. You’re actually more likely to find me breaking down the Bucs, Bulls or Bolts after a game, taking Oodle the poodle to the dog park or tinkering the backroom piano while vicariously reliving my former life as a musician. (Remember, kids: Parents of percussionists have plenty of patience. Plenty!)
Contact Rick on X @rmayer2361 or by email at Mayer1@wusf.org.
-
The proposal comes after weeks of negotiations with local officials but has not been vetted by public boards. It lays out ambitious economic projections to recoup the upfront investment. -
The 350-room hotel, located on the east side of the instillation, was evacuated "out of abundance of caution," after receiving an unspecified threat. -
The latest case count suggests the outbreak may be slowing, but it does not indicate that transmission has been eliminated. -
Fans who buy tickets for any of the three games can stick around after the final out for the concerts. Field access is also available by purchasing a wristband. -
The Fowler Avenue Collective encouraged supporters to redirect donations to the Bulls Club, the university’s official athletic booster group, a shift that aligns with a broader move toward school-managed compensation. -
Analysts with the personal finance website compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C., using 33 metrics tied to cost, quality and access to care. Florida's low ranking in oral health reflects gaps in preventive care. -
Fans who sweated in the summer heat playing last season at Steinbrenner Field were again bathed in sweet air conditioning. “What a moment for the community,” Rays CEO Ken Babby said. -
The stadium, ridiculed as MLB’s worst venue, is open again after being damaged by Hurricane Milton, and players and fans can’t wait to get indoors. A sellout crowd is set for the home opener against the Cubs. -
Discussions about needs and costs come as the NFL team nears a 2027 decision on extending its lease, and the Rays are seeking about $1.15 billion in public money for a new ballpark across the street. -
The Florida resolution comes as Bayer seeks approval of a $7.25 billion class settlement in Missouri and weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case that could determine whether the company can be shielded from failure-to-warn lawsuits.
